Heineken to invest £44.5m in UK pubs creating 850 new full or part time bar jobs

Thousands of pubgoers could soon see their local pub getting a major makeover after brewing giant Heineken announced plans to invest over £44 million into hundreds of pubs across the UK, creating around 850 new full and part time bar jobs in the process.

The investment will go into over 600 pubs operated through Heineken’s Star Pubs business, which manages more than 2,300 venues nationwide. The upgrades are expected to support new hospitality and catering roles ranging from bar staff and kitchen teams to management positions.

Work has already started at over 50 sites, with some long-closed pubs also set to reopen their doors. Eight boarded-up venues will be brought back into use as part of the project, giving a boost to local high streets and communities.

More than 100 pubs are due for major refurbishments costing at least £145,000 each. Planned improvements include upgraded outdoor spaces, modern interiors, improved food areas and enhanced sports viewing facilities ahead of the 2026 football World Cup.

Some venues will also add entertainment features such as darts areas, pool tables and large screen sports systems as pubs continue evolving into social hubs for younger customers and local communities.

The announcement comes at a difficult time for the hospitality industry, with many pubs facing rising staffing costs, higher National Insurance contributions and pressure from changing consumer spending habits.

Despite those challenges, Heineken says it remains confident in the future of British pubs. The company has invested more than £300 million into its UK pub estate in the last decade.

Announcing the plans, the managing director of Star Pubs, Lawson Mountstevens, said: “Pubs are a fantastic institution, admired the world over. We’re proud to be a leading investor in Britain’s independently operated locals and to be playing a part in securing their future along with our dedicated and entrepreneurial licensees.”

“Investment is essential if pubs are to remain a first choice for people looking for somewhere to socialise. It is also critical for pubs needing to generate extra revenue to fund the sustained increases in running costs they’ve faced in recent years.”

“However, we can only do so much; the root and branch reform of business rates that the industry has been calling for over many years is urgently required, as well as a lowering of the burden of taxation on pubs, including VAT and beer duty. We are calling on the Government to support us in bringing out the best in the Great British pub.”

“Importantly, this investment will create flexible job opportunities in communities in Lancashire, the North West and the country more widely and give many young people their first taste of the world of work,” added Mr Mountstevens.

For students and other young jobseekers, the expansion could mean more opportunities for flexible part time work, weekend jobs and entry level hospitality roles over the coming year.